Hey khaki...we all know how you feel.  My Red Dog had to have her right foreleg amputated at the begnning of May due to osteosarcoma.  We were scared to death but we've all made it through (so far...and that's all we can ask for).  If you feel like this is the correct decision, then it is.  We call every second post-amp "living in bonus time".  And really, every second of every day above ground for all of us is bonus time!  This community is THE BEST and you will know you and your pup are loved and supported by everyone here.  They have helped us a lot.

Hi Khaki

My Cemil had his left front leg amputated a little over five months ago and I can say you've come to the right place for information and support.  The next two weeks will be rough, but hang in there.  You'll watch a miracle unfold as he learns how to manage, balancing on three legs instead of four; for Cemil, by the end of the second day, he was walking/hopping pretty well. It's hard to see them fall, but that's how they learn.  Cemil took his face-plants on a lawn, so he didn't get hurt.

You may need to find some really yummy food to get your Sunny Dawg to eat while he's on the pain meds, and then you may have to worry that he'll never potty again.  But he will when he's ready.  Sometimes the incision drains--I kept a t-shirt on Cemil for about three weeks.  I guess those were our issues.  And the sleep.  You'll read lots of stories about dogs that bounce back immediately, but know that they don't all do that.  Cemil still sleeps most of every day.  On a walk, he has to lie down and rest pretty frequently.  Each one recovers at his own pace, and all paces are okay.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Mary and Cemil

How are things going for you and Sunny Dawg? It is scary bringing your dog home, not knowing what to expect. Our golden retriever, Lola is 3 weeks post op, and is doing great! We had some trouble with drainage for a couple days, so be aware of that. We had to keep an old t-shirt on lola to keep her from licking her incision. Believe me, things will get easier, and this is a great website for support!

You have definately come to the right place for support, excelent advice, and tales of recovery. While I still have difficulty admiting that I chose to have the left fore-leg amputated after the diagnosis, this action elimated the pain and started us down a recovery process that returned quality of life to Cherry. For Cherry, the chemotherapy was far worse than the amputation. She literally stopped eating and I had to stuff nearly every morsel of food for the two month duration of chemotherapy.

There will be ups and down during the recovery but try and stay as stong as possible around your Sunny Dawg. I often mention that we must treat the spirit as well as the body. Find something that your Sunny Dawg loves and exploit that love. In Cherry's case it was her love of riding in the car/truck. Our daily trips gave her purpose, and one could see her gain excitement as the "normal" time for these trips approached.

I also kept a journal and posted it online. This journal allowed me to make real assements of Cherry's progress or setbacks. You can access this journal at http://home.com...../index.htm

Good luck and keep us posted.

Bob & Cherry